We are accepting new admissions but have implemented additional pre-screening procedures to ensure the health and safety of everyone at Valley Recovery Center.

Valley Recovery Center is closely monitoring all coronavirus (COVID-19) updates and is following suggested best practices from the CDC to prevent the spread of the virus. For more information, please click here.

Can Alcohol Withdrawal Become Fatal?

Because alcohol is a legal drug, there is a common misconception that using and withdrawing from alcohol is safer than using and withdrawing from other drugs.

For many individuals, quitting drinking has some unpleasant, but tolerable side effects. For others, the side effects can be so severe as to become life threatening.

Detoxing as Part of a Process

More than just discontinuing the consumption of their drug of choice, a person in recovery goes through a series of changes to their mind, their bodies, their social lives, and their overall lifestyles. While getting a drug out of their system is one stop in that process, there is much more involved for a person who wants to make and maintain such a profound change.

Common Symptoms of Withdrawal

According to a WebMD article on alcohol withdrawal, it is not uncommon for people who stop using alcohol to experience non-life threatening withdrawal symptoms in the first six hours to three days after they stop drinking, especially if they previously drank large volumes and/or have drank consistently for a prolonged period of time. Withdrawal symptoms often include:

Anxiety

Shaky hands

Headache

Nausea

Vomiting

Insomnia

Sweating

Hyperventilation

Hallucinations (visual, auditory and tactile)

Delirium Tremens

Delirium Tremens (sometimes called DTs) is only estimated to occur in about 5 percent of people withdrawing from alcohol, but the New England Journal of Medicine reports that this number could be somewhat higher, as criteria for recording incidents has not been consistent. While it is still generally agreed that the percentage of people who suffer from DTs is quite low, the fatality rate among those individuals is 15 to 40 percent, if left untreated. In cases where an individual has died from DTs, the cause of death has most often been related to hyperthermia, cardiac arrhythmia, complications of withdrawal seizures, or concomitant medical disorders.

For those who experience DTs, symptoms will normally appear in 48 to 72 hours and last for about two to three days after onset. One rare occasion, DT symptoms can last for up to eight days after onset. Symptoms can include:

How to Cope with Withdrawal

Because most people are not in danger from alcohol withdrawal, it is generally recommended that it be treated like the flu or a migraine:

A quiet, supportive environment

Soft lighting

Limited contact with people

Healthy diet with lots of fluids

When Detox Becomes Dangerous

In their blog, Alcohol, Benzos, and Opiates—Withdrawal That Might Kill You, Psychology Today recommends, “If while withdrawing from alcohol a person develops a fever, extreme nausea, diarrhea, or DT (delirium tremens), they need to be rushed to see a doctor as soon as possible.” This could also include if a person’s blood pressure, pulse, or body temperature rises or if seizures or hallucinations become an issue.

Inpatient treatment provides a safe and effective way to get through the withdrawal stage. Patients receive 24/7 monitoring and support from a team of skilled professionals. Medications may be used to help a patient get through detox, in the most severe cases.

Who Is at Risk?

Delirium Tremens in alcohol withdrawal are more likely for anyone with:

Extended history of regular heavy drinking, typically for 10 years or more

Other medical conditions or poor overall health

Older age

Presence of structural brain lesions

Experience of intense alcohol cravings

A prior withdrawal experience that included DT

Overcoming Fear of Detox

For some people struggling with problem drinking, fear of severe withdrawal symptoms is a barrier to their recovery. It is important, however, to realize that 95 percent of the population does not experience severe, life threatening withdrawal symptoms.

For those individuals who do have such symptoms, there are a variety of interventions that doctors can utilize to help them get through the worst of the process. For example:

Sedation to suppress the excitability of the nervous system, thus reducing the severity of symptoms

Thiamine and other vitamins to promote proper nutrition

IV fluids to prevent dehydration

Dextrose to prevent hypoglycemia

Monitoring and replacement of electrolytes as necessary, since people suffering from alcoholism often have low calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, or potassium levels

Treatment of any co-occurring health conditions

Ultimately, getting is safer than allowing problem drinking to continue unchecked, especially when medical professionals are available to assist those who experience complications from detoxing.

The Alcohol Use and Your Health Fact Sheet from the Centers for Disease Control outlines the short and long-term consequences of problem drinking. These include social problems, health issues, and even death. Therefore, it is critical for a person who has suffered from alcoholism to conquer the fears that come along with getting sober and enter into recovery as soon as possible.

Speak to Someone Now

Send Us A Message

About Us

Valley Recovery Center is owned and operated by Summit BHC as part of a network of nationwide facilities focused on providing the highest quality of care to people suffering from the debilitating effects of addiction.